A judge’s decision means school modernization work can go forward at Monroe High School in Rochester without the controversial Project Labor Agreement.
State Supreme Court Justice John Ark ruled it’s in the best interest of the students that Phase 2 of the $1.3 billion Rochester Schools Modernization Plan gets underway. But Judge Ark also ordered the Rochester Joint School Construction board that manages the project to reconvene and hold a second vote on the PLA. And this time, they have to explain the reason for their votes.
The Rochester Building Trades Council sued last month after the board shot down the labor agreement, which specified local union labor would get the construction jobs and set targets for hiring minority and women-owned firms. They’re a standard fixture for big public development projects, but appointees of Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren shot this one down.
The mayor was reportedly dissatisfied with the way the Phase 1 PLA had worked out.